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Paul Conrad: R.I.P.
Part Two of Two By Dave Andrusko The last thing I would ever do is speak ill of someone who had just died. That would be tasteless, uncharitable, and unkind. The death of three-time Pulitzer Prize winner editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad merits a discussion not to rehash his virulent cartoons lambasting pro-lifers, but to remind us that Conrad was once pro-life. Conrad, 86, died over the weekend. He drew for many decades for the Los Angeles Times as part of a career that spanned 50 years during which he became (to use that much overused word) an icon to many of his colleagues. In an obituary, James Rainey of the Times quoted from the introduction to one of Conrad's seven books of political cartoons where Conrad wrote, "Editorial cartoonists are idealists, of another world." Rainey adds more quotes and an explanation: "'Political, social and moral injustices are perceived as monstrosities' requiring the cartoonist to 'sweep aside all the complexities and go to the basic issue; to take suspicions, coincidences, and past events and record them larger than life.'" Can there be a greater injustice than abortion? Rainey writes that in 1976 Conrad drew a cartoon that showed a baby nailed to a cross under the caption, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do…." Rainey writes that, "Not long after, the cartoonist explained: 'Nobody can speak for the fetus. So, in that sense, I think the liberal stance should be against abortion.'" However by 1980, Conrad had reversed himself--"His reassessment of abortion was the most dramatic about-face of Conrad's career," Rainey writes--and when Conrad went after you, look out! Rainey offers three explanations: "One editor guessed that he was slowly converted by his many liberal friends," Rainey writes. "Another associate said his daughters got him to see the issue more as a personal health choice, to be decided by a woman and her doctor." The third alternative comes from the source: "I thought, 'You forgot all about the women on this thing,'" Conrad said years after he made the shift. "I thought, 'You've been on this anti-abortion thing too long. It's time to get with it.'" As I said at the beginning, I'm not writing this post to bash Conrad. I greatly admired his compassion, his unstinting commitment to the truth, as he saw it, even when on a range of issues we were miles apart. I write because when Conrad crossed over, the unborn lost a voice that could have been a powerful, ongoing champion. Conrad nailed it perfectly in the beginning: A genuine liberal speaks on behalf of the powerless, those who have no voice of their own. That he lost sight of that original insight is a tragedy, both for the unborn and for Paul Conrad. Our condolences go out to his family. Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |